It seemed like any other gift from father to son, but this one was a bit different. The Fisher-Price basketball hoop given by Kermit Lewis to his son Shawn Lewis would change Shawn’s life forever.
That toy sparked a love for a game that would keep Lewis inseparable from basketball. It was in those earliest moments of his childhood, shooting in the hoop with his dad, that Shawn knew he wanted to make basketball his life.
“I started on that little Fisher-Price basketball hoop and it just stuck with me,” Shawn said. “Ever since then I’ve been attracted to basketball and wanted to make that my career.”
The rest is Cal Poly history.
In the Mustangs’ 43-39 victory over Pacific this season, Shawn scored 11 points to establish himself as one of the program’s elite scorers by becoming the 16th player in Cal Poly’s 85-year basketball history to surpass the 1,000-point mark.
“Shawn is able to make plays that nobody else on the team can make,” head coach Joe Callero said. “He has the quickness, strength, athleticism and experience that has been critical.”
His success with his team stems from his parents. Shawn’s parents were his biggest inspiration growing up and he said their work ethic is what drove him to work hard in basketball.
“They were very goal-oriented,” Shawn said. “They work hard at what they do. That’s what you have to do in basketball and that’s what they’ve instilled in me since I was little.”
Shawn took his first shots on a real hoop just a couple years later when he went to watch his dad play in an adult basketball league. At every timeout and halftime, Shawn would run out on court, with a basketball almost as big as he was, and take a few shots before the team took the court again.
Kermit said Shawn became more infatuated with basketball watching him play, even though he tried other sports.
“He really got interested in the game watching me play,” Kermit said. “I introduced him to other sports but basketball was all he wanted to play. He pretty much fell in love with it.”
Kermit said it was the love that drove Shawn to make himself better and always excel on his basketball teams.
“He loved the game to the point where he really wanted to do it,” Kermit said. “There wasn’t any pushing from me, he just enjoyed playing the game. It was his sheer drive that got him involved and to the point where he is now. As far as motivating himself, he wanted to get better at the game. He wanted to play college and he wants to go beyond college and play.”
Shawn’s aspirations eventually led him to Bishop O’Dowd High School. But in his senior year, just a few months away from graduation, Shawn hadn’t landed a scholarship and was still looking for a college to play for.
A pivotal moment in Shawn’s basketball career came when Bishop O’Dowd advanced to the Northern California Division III Championship versus Acalanes-Lafayette, a team that blew them out, 60-43, a few weeks prior.
Shawn seized the opportunity, in what could have been his last game of the season or even his career, and erupted, scoring 27 points to lead Bishop O’Dowd to a 55-51 victory.
Shawn, who embraced his father on court after the victory, said it was the highlight of his career.
“My dad has never missed a game my entire life,” Shawn said. “Him being there all the time eases my mind during the game just knowing I have that support. He was sitting right behind the bench that game, and it was a great feeling to turn to him after we won.”
Kermit said it was his proudest moment as a father to watch Shawn play that day.
“It was the highlight of my life,” Kermit said. “To see your child actually excel like that. You watch, you hope and you pray to actually be there and experience that. To have him come and give me a big hug after the game, and having everyone excited for him, it was a wonderful feeling.”
That game would not only propel Shawn into the State Championships but into the eyes of Cal Poly’s coaching staff.
Cal Poly had not even seen Shawn play in person. What drew Cal Poly to Shawn was the videotape of his explosive game against Acalanes-Lafayette.
Shawn has averaged 10.3 points per game while shooting 37 percent from the 3-point line during his four years at Cal Poly.
He was selected to the Big West All-Freshman team, was third on the team in scoring his sophomore year with 11.7 points per game and was second on the team in scoring his junior year with 11.8 points per game.
Shawn, the only senior on the team, said crossing the 1,000 point barrier was one of his best individual accomplishments, but he still has his eyes set on a Big West Championship or the NCAA tournament.
“It feels really good to know I reached that mark,” Shawn said. “I feel proud of myself, but I hope to get past that and be the first team to make it to the NCAA Tournament or take first place in the Big West.”
— Brian De Los Santos also contributed to this article
Great, powerful writing. Well done.